The author states that the trade deficit and the foreign debt reflect the inability of a large percentage of the U.S. work force to compete in an integrated world economy. He argues that investing in human capital is the only way to solve the competitiveness problem. A review of recent and current influences on the educational system is included.…

The U.S. economy is undergoing a transition that may rival the changes produced by the Industrial Revolution. The general directions are clear: an ever smaller share of the nation's work force is employed in the manufacturing sector; service sector industries are the source of most new jobs; and some "high tech" industries have had explosive…